Your Right to Know

WASHINGTON — People who argue that civilian courts are incapable of handling terrorism cases “
are simply wrong,” says Attorney General Eric Holder.

He said that sinceSept. 11, members of Congress have “placed unwise and unwarranted”
restrictions on where certain terrorism suspects can be held, charged and prosecuted.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Holder said, “many of these tired and meritless
political arguments” about the effectiveness of civilian courts have come up again.

Yesterday, he told law-school graduates of the University of California, Berkeley, that federal
courts have shown a “robust ability to stop terrorists and collect intelligence,” and he contends
that any move to limit their use would be counterproductive.